I think that one of the reasons why House insists that everybody lies is because he is so good at lying himself. In a parallel story, House has to deal with his new team. He is upset that they are all working together in cooperation with absolutely no fear of being fired hanging over their heads. In House’s skewed view of the universe, his team would work more effectively if there was dissension in their ranks. When Cuddy refuses to allow House to hire 40 new candidates, he takes matters into his own hands.
After dismissing Kutner’s attempt to decorate the office for Christmas as being a superficial representation of a hypocritical season, House decides to go along with the new doctor’s idea of having a Secret Santa. House puts the names into a Christmas stocking and insists that the whole team participate. What he does not tell them, but they all eventually learn, is that every slip of paper in the stocking had House’s name on it. As House explains to Wilson, Secret Santa has its own inherent conflict: Santa is all about sharing, and secrets are about withholding. He understands that they will all eventually learn that his is the only name, but that alone will cause more conflict between them.
One very interesting aspect of this episode is that it is the first episode where Kutner, Taub, and Thirteen are working together as a team. As they treat the patient and try to deal with House’s duplicity in the Secret Santa scandal, the parallels and subtle differences between the new team and the old team, with Foreman as the bridge between both, are apparent. Kutner is the kid of the group, easily dismissed just as Chase was in beginning seasons – a competent doctor who contributes very little to the diagnosis and a total suck-up to his boss. Taub is more like Foreman, taking House’s hits and jabs at being Jewish with resigned acceptance. He is the no-nonsense man, who just wants to treat the patient and do his job.
The parallels between Thirteen and Cameron are the most apparent in the episode. Not only is Thirteen the only female on the team, she is the most likely to argue with and disagree with House regarding his style of treating patients and dealing with staff. Like Cameron, she refuses to lie to the patient on House’s orders, and like Cameron would do, she refuses, at first, to play along with House’s Secret Santa game. She eventually and begrudgingly acquiesces, but she wants to get back at him by refusing to be angry with the other team members for playing along. Thirteen is adept at mind games. The difference between Thirteen and Cameron is that Thirteen’s strength comes from not caring what House thinks about her, whereas Cameron wanted House to like her.
Article comments
1 - Judy
I really loved this episode. I loved the Wilson/House moments, Secret Santa and the clinic patient. Those were Great and so very House like. I am so glad they haven't lost their touch for surprise. Thank you for the recap.
2 - rob
it is to long, make it shorter and i would read it
3 - paige
i loved it, i want more more more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4 - bliffle
Pretty good episode. I like seeing Wilson develop more and matching House intellectually.
5 - Susanne
Great recap
Unfortunetly I was not impressed by the episode at all. It felt disjointed and the newbies were in the same roles as the old ones. I would take the old team over the new team any old day. They actually had chemistry with one another and I liked their interactions with him. How was it fresh? It just feels the same old thing. I really miss the old team and I just want them back.
13 I just don't care for or her mysteries (that storyline has already been exhausted) she didn't remind me of cameron, cameron actually had some warmth to her and actually had some good scenes and cared for House and the others, 13 is more of an ice queen to me and should go. The others I can tolerate but they should really make up their minds. Felt really bad for Jennifer, seems humilating to be a main character reduced to nothing along side chase for cameos.
The clinic patient had me for a loop but enjoyed it especially the end, we all know what is going to be happening after the show. I liked his interactions with Wilson and Hugh singing was another highlight but other than that it was a very dissapointing episode it lacked a lot of depth that it usually brought after than House's bitter/sweet stuggle with truth and lies. The girl was really good and actually showed more life than the three newbies. I hope the "Frozen" episode won't dissapoint but I'm not wasting my breath.
6 - cindyc
Judy -- I loved the episode too. I tried to look at it as objectively as any fan could, although having a new episode felt somewhat like getting a drink of water after being stranded in the desert. I especially liked the fact that while there were comedic bits, it was not over the top.
Bliffle -- I also like seeing the House/Wilson friendship at work. I like when Wilson can match House in quips, conversation, and game playing more than I like to see Wilson lecturing or psychoanalyzing him.
Susanne -- I also think it is unfortunate for Jennifer Morrison and Jesse Spencer that they have gotten so little screen time this season. Because of the unfortunate timing of the writers' strike, it seems unfair. I hope that they had bigger plans for the old team before the strike happened, and perhaps when the new season starts, all the pieces will come together. I don't want to look at this as an either/or situation. I would hope that the writers would come up with a way for there to be room for them all.
7 - VY
The double entendre with the song "who took the merry out of Christmas" with the Virgin Mary being brought in on mule was cute.
8 - cindyc
VY - I agree. In fact, I love the music on House. It was one of the first things that drew me to the show. In the beginning, I would listen to the show while I was on the computer. In the first season, a song that I remembered from "back in the day" was playing. That's when I knew I had to start watching. The song was: "Saturday Afernoons in 1963" by Rickie Lee Jones. I think they do an excellent job of incorporating music into each episode. I can credit House with expanding my musical tastes.